Luxury

Thank you, Aditya Kashyap, for this picture.

Luxury and its glittering

spangling, while teetering

into my eyes.

I look at it, while it pokes

at me, killing the leftover hopes

of the world, I believe in.

Pushing me to believe this is the only way to breed,

living in the vicinity of treasure and greed,

Being powerful and to lead,

You're for guiding humans to tread.

I roll my eyes

immediately, before this feel surges and rises

into me.

And then I think of the world I believe in,

The world full of glittering but the

natural one.

Where My Soul Lies

“My soul is from elsewhere, I’m sure of that,

and I intend to end up there.”

(An excerpt from,” Who says words with my mouth?”)

- Jelaluddin Rumi

Where My Soul Lies

It was all messed up. My work, Emma, home and every other thing.  Even my car had started conspiring against me. I couldn’t stand it anymore. I was like a dead corpse who was left stranded near the graveyard. So I decided it’s better to leave. Better to leave a habitat where you find no peace.

I am a mechanical engineer. I have lived in Boston for long. My mother and father were Indians. They both eloped from Punjab in 1985 when they were around 25 and settled here on Pemberton Road. Both had well-off families back there in Punjab, and they are highly educated. So, settling here away from the family and finding jobs was no big deal for them. They, officially, got married in 1987 as Sukhvinder Singh and Harshdeep Kaur. Both got the green card by 1989 and later in May of the next year I was born. They gave me an American name Nicholas (Nick). Living in America, having an American name, wearing American clothes, eating American food (beef included), and taking the oath to American allegiance, it never dawned on me that I had Indian roots, until the age of10. Then I started realizing that I am growing different from other students in the school and that when my parents fight, they spoke some different language which I later got to know was Punjabi.

My parents got divorced by 2002; it was termed as “mutual”. Both of them agreed to part ways as they had each found a new partner for themselves. Court decided that since the mother is working, she would take custody of the lone minor boy. And from 2002 to 2009 I had seen my mother changing many partners, marrying none. Every time she had a fight with any of her boyfriends, she would come banging into my room and cry for some time. And then when done with all the tears, she would make me sit near her and tell me about the place she had lived. At the age of 16, I got to know where my parents actually lived before settling here. She had said Kila Raipur near Ludhiana. She described her home stretched in the area of 8000 sq. meters, with an open veranda in the middle of the house. 6 families were living in the home. She also said that like hers, dad too had the house of same architecture. I would have rather called it a mansion. She described the blooming mustard field outside the house, with the scarecrow in the middle, a pond nearby, rough roads, bullock carts and everything which an American country-side has.

 By the age of 19, when I was about to graduate, I had seen DDLJ, Namastey London, Veer- Zara and many other movies giving me a somewhat clearer picture of Punjab. And I realized there was much more to it than any countryside in America. Later on, I realized that there, in Kila Raipur, prevailed something which had led to an upsurge of emotions in me. They were weird and wonderful emotions of love, refuge, devotion, and patriotism for some other country, some other land.

As time passed, I started to see a recurring dream of an open veranda, a big house and me standing in the middle of Mustard Field, with cool breeze billowing away from the resting mustard plant, kissing my cheeks, muttering my name in a beautiful voice. At the age of 22, with the start of my career as an intern with Ford Automobiles, I already had as many relationships like my mother. But, Emma had been the best of all. We were in the same batch of Masters, she was pursuing Electrical engineering and I had chosen Mechanical. We had dated for 5 months before finally agreeing to take our relationship forward. But as time began to play its course, she started behaving in the American way. Casual relationships, flirting with other guys, hangover, and every other thing. I decided to make her understand what I wanted but she was adamant that she didn’t want to commit something. I was left broken.  I couldn’t even return to my mother, I had left her after my masters. She had started living with a man who was violent with me. And I didn’t know where my father was. In all this mess, I was fired off from the post of Head Supervisor as they found me inefficient for work in the recent times.

A week before finally making this decision, I again had a vision of the same mustard field, same picturesque location but this time wind had something new for me, a smell, which gave the feeling of oneness, a feeling of intimacy, love and bond. Also, it bought a yellow translucent strip of cloth, kind of scarf flapping in the air. The cloth got tucked to my face, just like any other Bollywood film. It was then, the next day, I decided to move to the place, which had been in my dreams for long. To the place where my parents were born. The place to which, I suddenly started feeling, I must return. The place which I feel is the refuge of my soul.

Sitting here in the airport lounge, waiting for my flight to Delhi. All the flashbacks from my life in Boston go rolling like a film reel. I realize I will be having no job once I land in India. All I would have are some savings left with me.

I have to take a taxi and travel next 6 hours before I reach Ludhiana. I had found about an automobile company named Escorts there, where perhaps seeing my portfolio they would employ me. Whatever it is now, I can clearly hear someone calling me from that mustard field and I must end up there.

                                           ……………………………………………………………

                                                            In Kila Raipur, Same Day

Gurdeep Singh: Oo Biji, sunti ho??
(Where are you mother??)

Manpreet Kaur: Ke ho gya Gurdeep, Chilata kyun hai
(What has happened Gurdeep, why are you wailing like this?)

Gurdeep: Biji, aey rishta bhi na-manzoor ho gaya Simran da.
(These ones too, didn’t say yes for Simran.)

Manpreet Kaur: Fikr na Karin Gurdeepe, Apni Simran ke liye koi changa villayti munda hi haan kare gya si. Mera dil kehanda hai. Menne hi odhani hai Simran de sar wich peeli chunari, mehndi wale din. Tu Fikar na Karin.
(You don’t worry Gurdeep; I will consent for no less than some handsome foreigner for Simran. My instincts tell me, it will be me who’ll put on her the yellow chunari (translucent scarf) on the day of her mehndi.)

Nigaar- Short Story

Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.

- Rumi

Nigaar

“…. I have lived my life to the fullest dear, now it’s your turn. Never hesitate to open your wings. Fly.”

I still remember these words which she said in her last days. My Grandma preferred that people should call her by her pen-name, Nigaar and not being called as Dadi or amma or anything else which will append her name to aging life. Her name was Radhika Chitranjan. Dadu had given her the name Nigaar, after reading her poems which were usually in Hindustani Language. Nigaar, an Urdu word, literally has two meanings, oneof them is a painting and second, someone beloved. Dadu used to tell her, Radhika whenever I read your poems, it feels like every single word strikes like a paintbrush on the canvas and I imagine a painting being made in my mind.

Nigaar had a wander-lust at the time when the people were barely familiar with it in India, especially here in Bhopal. The word became a cult after the year 2000. Dadu himself was an avid traveler. Due to his government job and passion for photography, he always had time and reasons to pack up his bag, hold the hand of his beloved Nigaar and expedite themselves to another road, another town or city and many times to another time zone. Nigaar had met innumerable people, tasted different sorts of food, fallen in love with Kashmir countless times, had thousands of experience to share, kissed Dadu in front of Eiffel tower (on cheeks though), acquired an adrenaline rush for skydiving at 55 (unfortunately 45 was the limit) and she was always ready for a long drive till she finally got bedridden due to pneumonia and then died later.

I never understand when people of my parents' age say that they never had the same opportunity as today’s generation has. I want them to see Nigaar once, how free she was, how she never missed an opportunity to experience something new and exciting, how she lived a life she always dreamt of. Today, when I want to hop into the world of writing, why the fear of not being approved of is making me not to run for it, when I want to travel the world why the fears of life are not letting me start a new journey and when I want to be loved by someone why the fear of being cheated is not allowing the relationship to grow. Why can’t I be like Nigaar? She had once said, “Varnika, remember two things in your life: never ever at any stage of life let yourself sway away in the tempest of fear and despair and never shy away from falling in arms of what you love.” Today, I see the prestigious awards she has been honored with, for her works in poetry and I remember one of her prose:

हिम्मत ए ज़नाना मात देती है हिम्मत ए मर्दां को,
कौन कोख में लिए चलता है वाजूद ए इंसान।

Meaning, “A Courageous woman is no less than a courageous man, who has guts to create life in their womb?”

But, why am I afraid to live a life like Nigaar. Why can’t I just open my wings and fly? What did Nigaar had that I don’t?

The Natural Beauty

Beauty is black, Beauty is white,

Beauty is everything you see with eyes open wide,

Beauty is dim, Beauty is bright,

Beauty can sway you away in the tide.

Beauty is in eyes, Beauty is in smile,

Beauty can make you stand still for a while.

Beauty has no simile, Beauty can be a metaphor,

Beauty has elegance and modesty you may swoon for.

Beauty resides in the heart, Beauty rises with the birth,

Beauty is nothing but nature living on earth.

Look Up!! But why??

How will you react when your grade hungry father, someday, says to you- "My son, it's okay if you don't study. I have no problem if you flunk in any of your exams or can also, whenever you will stop studying and going to school". You'll definitely glance at him with curiosity, thinking what has happened to him. There might be some chances of you thinking for different reasons in the context of which the above statement was ordered to you. This is what has happened to me after seeing the latest TV commercial by Vodafone which they carried out on Friendship day. The commercial says, "#LookUp from your phone to and don't let your friendship fade away."

Even-though, I personally loved the commercial, but the first word that crossed my mind, after seeing it was "Irony". A mobile carrier company, that gains all of its profit by providing its customer with mobile networks. And recently had got a tough competition from its counterpart in India (Jio- reliance networks), is suddenly telling you to look up from your mobile Phone and save your friendship. Why? What's the reason behind it??

The detective inside me instantly awake and gave a long thought to it. And this is what I came up with ( personal thoughts that shouldn't be taken personally :) ), the company doesn't want you to stop using your phone (yes, yes I know its quite obvious) but also doesn't want you to ignore your friends. Who will be talking to them when they'll be away from you. Who will be telling them about the breakups, patch-ups, crushes and other gossips? And yes, 12'o clock wishes shouldn't be over shadowed by "HBD". Of course, there should be long talks on birthdays. That's why this advertisement has a female protagonist.

So, the company that mints lakhs and crores every second, doesn't want your friendship to be limited till texting and messaging. It should stay same as it was before Whatsapp and Instagram, "On Calls". And yes they have also told you somewhere between the lines, in this busy times you're not every day going to meet your friend. So, when you meet, talk to them so they can talk to you later on phone.

Bleeding Blue

The last shot by MS Dhoni, the skipper of Indian Cricket team, cutting its way to the boundary line, and it’s a four, India won from Australia, knocking them out of ICC World Twenty20 league and pushing themselves to semi-finals. Almost every part of India, on Sunday, would have glued their eyes to the Television screen, applauding each time Virat Kohli had pulled a shot across the boundary. And, when finally our Captain Cool pulled that winning shot, the whole country(wo)men (in case you say, I follow a sexist ideology), had the whale of the time (considering cricket as a religion in our country). Do you know there are few more entities, even after not being of Indian origin, were celebrating along with you for this win?

Who are they? And why are they celebrating with you?


You all know them very well if you don’t teeter among channels when there is a break. Yes, the commercial brands partnered with ICC T20 league would have buzzed with cheers after this win.


But why?


The reason being us, the audience. The ads we see in the breaks help the brands commercially associated with the event to position themselves in the mind of the audience. You might find some ads quirky, and some irritating but their repetitiveness makes you remember the brand name and logo.  Brands sometimes make use of the topical subject related to a specific event in order to connect and create awareness about them. And that is why brand cheers with you when the ball finds its way out of the boundary and hold their breath when our team is on the brink to lose.

Don’t you see your importance..:)

Fevicol : The ultimate (ad) hesive

As my eyes huddle among the different articles manifesting on the bright Lenovo screen, trying to find something interesting, the 5^th page of the website display a point of view on the recent TVC by Fevicol. The title reads, Fevicol: Bonding for dear life. Before I did with the reading stuff, I considered opening Youtube alongside on an extra tab (thanks to new google features) to interpret the allegory behind the film.

This new ad, “Govinda ek dahi handi anek”, is perfectly executed under the creative consciousness of Piyush Pandey of Ogilvy and Mather India. The AdFilm, like any other Fevicol Films, has forged itself with the Indian culture and with a little tongue & cheek humor created a hyperbolic film that is very much engaging. Dahi handi (earthen pot filled with curd) festival is most popularly celebrated in Maharashtra during Janmashtami (a Hindu festival), where a group of people known as “Govinda” breaks Dahi handi by forming a pyramid like formation.

The film, also, opens up with a similar group forming a pyramid to break the Dahi handi hung at a considerable height, and they succeed in doing so. Then suddenly a boy among the cheering on lookers points out towards another dahi handi at a distance, the Govindas instead of breaking up the pyramid move together in the same formation. The formation makes its ways, effortlessly through narrow lanes and streets before reaching the destination.

And as the AdFilm is about to end, one of the boy throws a bucket of water on one of the Govinda that leads in divulging the logo of Fevicol at his ‘back’, alike ending of every Fevicol films. The film depicts the attribute of Fevicol, that how it is employed for creating a strong and unbreakable bond, for which it is famous for.

With the heavy Marketing Strategy, Fevicol, today is the part of everyday lingo among the Indians. Be it any TVC or print ad, Fevicol (through its songs, one liner, narration, and depiction), has always found quirky ways to position itself in the mind of Indians (Kudos to the creative team for the kickass campaigning).

A long-time back there was an interview with ‘Piyush Pandey’ and ‘Prasoon Joshi’, published in economic times, where Prasoon when confronted a stranger, who was stalking him for a while, he told that he has an idea for Fevicol which should be given a thought. Also, Prasoon added that they keep receiving Ideas from the public, which shows how Fevicol have ‘adhere’ itself among the mind of Indian consumers.